The present invention relates generally to musical toys and, more particularly, to a toy musical playset having a tea pot with xylophone keys which is filled with beads, a number of pots with xylophone keys and a pan with a xylophone key, tambourine symbols and musical ribs, all of which may be stacked on top of each other or used with a toy spatula or spoon to make musical sounds.
In the past, a variety of musical or sound-producing toys have been fabricated. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,590,679 issued to Law on July 6, 1971; 3,548,702 issued to Kosuge on Dec. 22, 1970; 3,533,323 issued to Baxter on Oct. 13, 1970; 3,532,022 issued to Genin on Oct. 6, 1970; and 3,433,110 issued to Stanton on Mar. 18, 1969 all disclose toy railroad tracks having sound emitting bodies or xylophone--like keys which may be used to play musical tunes. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,909,977 issued to Kirk on Oct. 7, 1975; 2,848,839 issued to Haines on Aug. 26, 1958; and 2,616,218 issued to Brown on Nov. 4, 1952 describe musical spoons and a noise-making lapper. U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,973 issued to White on Dec. 25, 1979; Rogers Drums Catalog, 64R, page 82; and the publication: The Torpedo, Latin Percussion, Inc., Jan. 7, 1975, show musical instruments or shakers. U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,386 issued to Giordano et al on May 17, 1983 describes a toy skillet and knife having sound-producing capabilities. U.S. Pat. No. 2,289,314 issued to Davis on July 7, 1972; and British Pat. No. 578,539, dated July 2, 1946, both disclose toy rattles.
Toys having parts which may be stacked on top of each other are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,604,073 issued to Livesey et al on Aug. 5, 1986; 4,509,920 issued to Kaufmann on Apr. 9, 1985; 4,485,585 issued to Shackelford et al on Dec. 4, 1984; 4,129,963 issued to Perry Jr. et al on Dec. 19, 1978; 3,159,403 issued to Glass et al on Dec. 1, 1964; 2,936,544 issued to Kohner on May 17, 1960; 2,839,842 issued to Keyko on June 24, 1958; 2,458,306 issued Schneider on Jan. 4, 1949; 2,278,894 issued to Paulson on Apr. 7, 1942; 2,235,801 issued to Herlihy on Mar. 18, 1941; 298,633 issued to Snow on May 13, 1884; and 264,066 issued to Crandall on Sept. 12, 1882. Other stacking toys are described in British Patent Application No. 8213682 of Yakushiin published Nov. 24, 1982; and British Pat. No. 482,946 of Wilkinson dated Apr. 4, 1938. Finally, toys having engaging parts which may be taken apart are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,545,798 issued to Swett et al on Dec. 8, 1970; and 3,139,698 issued to Arnold on July 7, 1964.
The above patents do not disclose a toy musical playset having a teapot filled with beads, pots with xylophone keys and a pan with a xylophone key, tambourine symbols and musical ribs which may be stacked on top of each other for storage or during play. A child may make musical sounds with a toy spoon using the xylophone keys while the pots, pan and teapot are stacked in a vertical column. Alternatively, the pots, pan and teapot may be unstacked and spread out on top of a table, allowing a child to play musical tunes using the xylophone keys. In addition, the pan with tambourine symbols or the teapot full of beads may be shook in order to produce musical sounds. A child may also make musical sounds by stroking the musical ribs on the pan with a toy spatula. Additional play options would be provided if a child was able to hang the pots or pan on his or her belt. Accordingly, there is a need in the toy manufacturing arts for such a toy musical playset.